The Sea Holds the Answers
by Goody
Summary: Will and Jack set out on a daring adventure aboard the Black Pearl to find Will's father, but trouble may find them along the way
1. Surprising Encounters

The Sea Holds the Answers  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean or anything affiliated to them. But I'd love to have my own little Orli, he's so cute.  
  
Rating: PG- 13 probably, that's what I rate everything.  
  
Category: Action/Adventure/Comedy  
  
Summary: Will goes with Jack on an adventure that causes Will some problems.  
  
The eerie quiet of night was not something new to Will Turner, having lived most of his life alone, but now after six months of wedded bliss to the governor's daughter he found their house felt very cold and empty without her presence. Will sighed and turned for the staircase which led to the bedroom. The day had been spent packing and tying up all his and Elizabeth's connections in Port Royal, and he was quite tired.  
  
As he lay in his bed, made for two but holding one, he realized that Port Royal felt empty to him because it was. With Elizabeth gone he had no one in this city to call friend. Even Mr. Brown, the blacksmith who raised him had died several months ago, finally drinking himself to death. Will had grieved but not overly, it was not too tragic a loss, and he had had Elizabeth to help him. He sighed again, wondering why he had decided to stay behind and send her on ahead, it seemed quite foolish now. Everyone in his life always left him at some point; his mother, his father, Mr. Brown, Elizabeth and even .....  
  
Jack Sparrows. The name came unbidden to his mind, along with a memory of the pirate. Will smiled as he remembered Jack's exuberant escape from the commodore, rudely interrupted by his fall from the tower. But Jack Sparrows - sorry, Captain Jack Sparrows - had left Port Royal long ago and Will doubted ever seeing him again. This thought saddened him, for he somehow had begun to consider the man a friend, despite his misdeeds.  
  
A sound outside his window pulled him from his thoughts and put him on alert. It had been the sound of falling rocks, then a hushed curse in a voice he couldn't make out. Silently pulling himself from the bed Will moved to his closet and received his best sword, then pushed himself against the wall beside the window, hiding his form in the shadows of the room.  
  
No sooner had he gotten into place than a hand appeared at the window ledge, then another. Together, both appendages were able to haul the rest of the adjoining body up as well. Soon the intruder was sitting on the sill, quite satisfied with himself. He crossed his legs and rested his chin in his hand as he looked about the room, seemingly searching and waiting at the same time.  
  
"Where are you boy? I haven't all night you know." The figure announced. Will briefly thought he recognized the voice, but dismissed the notion as his "guest" moved further into the room, sauntering oddly. Will leapt from the shadows with a cry and brought down his sword against the intruder. But the man was quick, much faster than he seemed, and turned with his own sword drawn to intercept the attack. The weapons clashed and pushed hard one another, each fighting to gain the upper hand, and the pressure was not diminished when the two combatants finally made eye contact.  
  
"Jack?" Will asked, pleasantly and awkwardly surprised. The captain hadn't changed at all. His dreaded hair hung freely about his face, his eyes were still caked with coal dust to guard against sun glare, and the same hat even stood upon his head.  
  
"Who were you expecting? Peter Pan?" Jack asked with a flourish. Will smiled, glad to see him, and began to lower his sword, but the pirate would have none of that. Jack struck out at him, intentionally missing to give Will time to raise his weapon again. Will was up to the challenge and with a confident smirk on each face the two continued to fight for several minutes. Parry, thrust, parry, parry, lunge, parry. The fight went all around the room, with each man enjoying themselves greatly. When their swords were locked together once more, Jack pushed Will away to regain his footing and moved around to the other side of the bed. Will gave him no mercy though and somersaulted over the bed to land upright with his sword drawn on the other side. His eyes twinkling, Jack engaged him once more.  
  
"I see you still practice three hours a day. But I thought you had followed my advice and gotten yourself a woman?" Jack pointed out as he fought so flawlessly it appeared he put no effort forth at all.  
  
"I did, but she is not here." Will replied, twisting beneath Jack's blade.  
  
"That was quick. The old romp and dump. Get what you want and then get rid of her, is that it?" Jack asked, blocking and seeming almost bored.  
  
Will struck out harshly now, their blades clanging loudly in his anger, "Elizabeth, my *wife*, awaits me in England. We have decided that the Caribbean is not the most suitable place to start a family."  
  
Jack did not appear the least bit chagrined, but said, "I am sorry my boy, I did not mean to offend the dear Mrs. Turner, I was simply curious. But if she is in England, what are you doing here?" Jack barely dodged a quick swipe of Will's blade.  
  
"I am simply ....." Will was cut off as the door of the bedroom burst open and half a dozen armed guards appeared, pistols drawn, stopping the combatants in their tracks.  
  
"Drop your weapon." The chief demanded, his gun aimed at Jack's head.  
  
"And you call me the cheater." Jack admonished as he dropped his sword and raised his arms in the air.  
  
Will offered him an apologetic glance then turned to the guards, "It is all right, we were simply sparring. This is a friend of mine, he means me no harm." Will explained, hoping none of the guards would recognize the pirate for who he was.  
  
"This man climbed up the building, broke into your room, and engaged you in swordplay in the middle of the night, and you call him your friend." The guard asked, astonished.  
  
"I did not say he was a normal friend." Will replied.  
  
Jack made an indignant huff behind him as he picked up his sword once more, "I'm not you know."  
  
Will rolled his eyes, "All is fine, I assure you. You can leave us now."  
  
The guards slowly retreated from the room, each receiving a friendly smile and wave from Jack as they left.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Will asked after they were gone.  
  
Jack stuck his sword into the ground and leaned on it then said, "Well obviously I appear to be here to see you. I must admit, I wished to see the lovely Miss Elizabeth once more as well, but that plan has also gone astray. Suddenly, I don't feel very welcome here. Perhaps I should just go, let you live out your life forever wondering what it is I wished from such a noble lord." Jack said as he made his way to the window once more. Will stopped him and pulled him back inside.  
  
"Don't go Jack, it is good to see you again, but dangerous. What if you are spotted? I cannot save you again." Will reminded him.  
  
"My dear boy, I have never needed saving, least of all from a scrawny blacksmith such as yourself."  
  
"Uh huh." Will nodded, unbelieving.  
  
"Well, maybe once. But the past is the past, and now we must look into the future. The future of my future, and your future."  
  
"Jack, what are you getting at?" Will asked exasperated.  
  
"I've come to rescue you from this life of torment and suffering. From the pain you must feel every moment, from your death so to speak." Jack said dramatically, sitting on the windowsill.  
  
"I have no idea what you're talking about, and if you don't start making sense soon I'm going to ask you to leave." Will said, tired and not in the mood for Jack's games.  
  
"Married life, Will. It's as good as being dead." Jack replied, his voice low and serious.  
  
Will laughed and shook his head, "I like married life Jack. I love Elizabeth, I'm afraid you've wasted your time."  
  
"No, you misunderstand me. Your affection for the very, very lovely Miss Turner is not in question by me, but I know you my boy, I know you better than you think. You need some excitement, something to interest you, because I know that making those lovely swords isn't doing it for you." Jack said smugly. Will opened his mouth to protest, but the words wouldn't come. He couldn't really argue with Jack, he had found being a pirate exciting. Dangerous and scary, but also extremely thrilling. It was hard settling back into the life of a simple blacksmith who happened to be married to the governor's daughter.  
  
"I see Captain Jack may be bordering on the truth." Jack risked, judging by Will's reaction.  
  
"And how do you plan on helping me with my problems?" Will asked curiously.  
  
"You aren't nearly as bright as you pretend to be are you? I've come to recruit you lad. Now grab your stuff, the Pearl's waiting." Jack announced, beginning to climb down the window ledge.  
  
Will stood shocked for a moment, then ran to the ledge, grabbed Jack's arm and pulled him forcibly back into the room. "You cannot just come strolling in here after six months, invite me to become a pirate and expect me to follow you without question. Are you mad?"  
  
"No, but I am considerably drunk. I was not asking you to stay, but I've got a little mission and I thought you might like to join me. And after it's done I'll gladly escort you to England to be with your fine wife, and you can live happily ever after. Yuck." Jack grimaced at the phrase.  
  
"A mission. You're pirates, I'm sure I do not want to be involved in any mission you are taking upon yourselves." Will said, resolute in not breaking any more laws with the captain. He would only be granted clemency so many times.  
  
"You'll like this adventure young William. How would you like to find your father?"  
  
TBC  
  
All for now. Did you like? Please review. Much appreciated. Goody 


	2. Boarding the Black Pearl

Ah, so many reviews. Thank you all, I'm glad you like it. Several personal responses are at the end. This chapter's quite long but I can't promise they'll all be that way.  
  
The Sea Holds the Answers chap 2/?  
  
Jack smirked at Will's shocked expression, and then, not in the mood for further explanations, he turned to the window one last time and began his descent down the house. Will finally snapped out of his state of astonishment and ran to the ledge to pull him inside once more, but found he was too late this time and the pirate was already halfway down the wall.  
  
"Jack, get back here!" He called out desperately, "You're not making any sense."  
  
"I'm making perfect sense, you just choose not to see it," Jack pointed out as he dropped to the ground.  
  
"But ... but my father's dead," Will whispered in confusion, and was surprised when Jack heard him.  
  
"You really are a little slow, aren't you? Well you'd best speed up soon, the crew won't wait long," Jack yelled out as he casually strode away from the house.  
  
"Jack wait!" Will pleaded, but the sauntering form never slowed or turned back, "Damn."  
  
Running back into the room Will grabbed his essentials: his hat, sword, boots and coin purse. As he gathered his belongings he called out to his closest servant, a kindly butler named Edward.  
  
"Yes my lord," Edward enquired looking bed raddled. Though being married to a governor's daughter had its advantages, Will would never get used to being called "lord". It was only after taking in the butler's disshelved appearance that Will once more realized how late it was.  
  
"Um, yes, sorry for the late hour. I shall need you to take care of the rest of the preparations for my return to England I'm afraid. Please send word to Elizabeth that I may be arriving a little later than planned. I've found an ..... alternate form of transportation," Will explained as he quickly grabbed his belongings, "I'm sorry to put this on you, but something extremely important has come up."  
  
"Of course, I understand completely." Edward lied, not knowing why his employer would be leaving so swiftly.  
  
Will rushed down the stairs, Edward not far behind, and pulled his coat off the rack as he opened the door, "Thank you, for everything. I put these matters in your hands out of trust; I know you will not let me down. Good- bye. " Will sped out the door hurriedly, slamming it hard. Edward turned to go back to bed when the door opened again and Will peaked his head in, "And uh, give yourself a raise."  
  
Edward smiled as the door shut again and Will disappeared for the last time.  
  
~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~  
  
Struggling to put his coat on and keep his untied boots upon his feet, Will raced down the sidewalk desperately in search of a flourishly dressed pirate. It didn't seem like a hard task (Jack usually stuck out like a sore thumb), but Will had no idea where his friend may be now and decided to head in the direction of the docks. He rounded a corner, looked both ways and was about to race off down a dark alley when a sarcastic voice from behind stopped him.  
  
"You know Will, I just can't say enough good things about that hat."  
  
Will sighed and turned to find the captain leaning casually against the alley wall, seemingly without a care in the world. Knowing he would have no peace unless he remedied the situation, Will took off the cap, pulled the feather free, and then replaced it on his head.  
  
"Much better," Jack glowed, beaming with fake pride.  
  
"Well that's a relief. Now what did you mean about my father?" Will demanded, taking a curt step forward.  
  
"All in good time, all in good time," Jack promised, not caring about Will's anger as he pushed past him and onto the street. Will did not move to follow this time.  
  
"Well, come on, I told you the crew won't wait long," Still Will didn't follow, "I promise, full explanations are coming. I'm surprised you haven't figured it out yourself, but we really must be out of here before the sun rises. I've met the local noose once already, and I'm not eager to be reacquainted."  
  
Jack began to walk away again and finally Will responded, "The dock's that way." Indicating the opposite direction Jack was going.  
  
"Yes it most certainly is. That is very nice. But, I refuse to pay the ridiculous charges on that dock, and avoid the authorities that await there. With that in mind, the Black Pearl is in this direction," Jack explained and was rewarded with a nod from Will as he finally followed.  
  
The two walked silently for a while, Jack humming softly and jovially as Will practically sulked but said nothing. As they neared their destination though Jack spoke;  
  
"So, what have you been up to? Made any additions to the family tree?" Jack asked.  
  
"Elizabeth is yet to be with child, but I have been well. Better than I've ever been in my life I think." Will replied wistfully after some time. Jack was not impressed by his tone, not being a very sentimental person.  
  
"My god, you do need a good adventure. Couple of blows to the head might do you good." Jack mumbled.  
  
"I am not here for an adventure Jack, I am coming with you for one reason and one reason only; to find my father. Now if you would be so kind as to explain to me how I am going to do that...." Will trailed off, expecting Jack to reply but the pirate's attention was drawn elsewhere.  
  
"There she is." Jack said, his voice as wistful as Will's had been moment's earlier. Will turned and found himself looking into open sea.  
  
"I see nothing." Will admitted as his eyes scoured the water.  
  
"She is not called the *Black* Pearl because she is easily spotted. You must look for where the water is blackest; that is where you will find my ship."  
  
Will looked out again and spotted a small patch of water that did appear darker than its surroundings. As they drew nearer it was clear that it was indeed the Black Pearl, perfectly camouflaged in the waters. Will frowned as he realized the terror that ship must have struck in so many hearts. Being as dark as it was it would be easy for the craft to ambush unsuspecting ships in the dead of night; it was no wonder the vessel had been thought cursed long before it actually was.  
  
"Come then," Jack urged him, clapping him on the shoulder and leading the way down the steep hill that led to the shore. Once there they climbed into the rowboat Jack had taken to reach shore and set out for the Black Pearl. As they careened over the calm water Will got a better look at the ship and realized it looked much better than it had. The holes caused by the cannon fire had been patched and the sails, though just as dark, were full and blowing strongly. He could see the crew onboard, and several stopped to wave at them, making it already feel more alive than it had under Barbossa's command.  
  
"I love what you've done with the place," Will commented as they rowed closer.  
  
Jack just smiled, "Yes, the curtains were my idea."  
  
They reached the ship, tied the boat to the side and climbed up the rat lines to the deck. Shouts could be heard from the crew as they climbed up.  
  
"Cap'n's back!" "Tighten that mastway!" "Get everyone up here." "He's brought someone with him." "Cap'n on deck!"  
  
When they reached the top the entire crew was assembled as if for inspection, standing upright and alert.  
  
"Ah, very good crew, relax. Many of you know Will already, had your lives saved by him if memory serves me correctly." Jack said as Will came over the railing. Though the words sounded casual it was clear they were meant as a reminder; Will had saved their lives so they would show him respect. The crew acknowledged the words and greeted Will, who just nodded in return. "Ah Will, you know Anamaria, my first mate."  
  
"First mate?" Will asked astonished, sure the two hated each other. But from the way Anna was smiling, things had probably changed.  
  
"That's right, and I run a tight ship around here, so if you're coming with us to Keresto you best be pulling your own weight," Anna warned him.  
  
"Actually, I'm here as guest, not crew, if I'm not mistaken," Will said slowly, watching Jack's reaction.  
  
"And why can't you be both?" Jack asked simply, then addressed the crew. "No time for introductions now. Haul anchor, turn the sails, we're off to Keresto!"  
  
The crew cheered but then rushed to the tasks Anamaria appointed them as they worked.  
  
"Keresto? Is that where my father is?" Will asked, unable to hold in his questions any longer.  
  
"You," he pointed at Will, "must come and have a long and most likely borrrrring, chat with me. Let's get it over with then, come on," Jack led the way to the captain's quarter's and instructed him to sit.  
  
"Alright, I've left my home behind, grabbed the bear essentials of my life and followed you blindly, now will you tell me ..... Ah!" Will yelped in surprise as a small, furry objected suddenly jumped on his shoulder.  
  
"I'm so sorry, I haven't quite gotten him under control yet," Jack apologized as he picked the monkey off Will's shoulder.  
  
"You kept that thing?" Will asked astonished, recognizing Barbossa's monkey.  
  
"Well, it's got a great name," Jack defended as he gave the animal a grape. It chittered gleefully and jumped back onto the ceiling, swinging from beam to beam. Jack watched amused.  
  
"As I was saying," Will started but Jack wasn't listening.  
  
"Look at that, he just swings and swings, like a little tiny acrobat. It's wonderful. Oh, there he goes again," he turned to Will who was not smiling, "Oh right, right your father." He sat down now, attempting to be serious, "So, what do you want to know?"  
  
"What makes you think he's alive?" Will asked automatically.  
  
Jack sat up, surprised, "What makes you think he's dead?"  
  
"Everything! He's never come looking for me, I've never heard of him being alive, and Barbossa said he killed him himself." Will explained quickly becoming frustrated.  
  
"You really don't listen very closely my boy. Barbossa explained that he fired your father out of a cannon by his bootstrap, after they had been cursed. Do you know what that means?" Jack asked. Will clearly had not grasped the meaning yet. "It means he's still alive. He was already cursed, which means he couldn't die. So either he swam to shore or he walked across the bottom, but somehow he reached land and lives to this day, I don't imagine he would have just sat the bottom of the ocean for these past 10 years."  
  
"That's true," Will realized, "If he was already cursed he would be alive and now uncursed. But, why has he never tried to track me down? I would not have been hard to find, I kept my real name when I was adopted."  
  
For once Jack looked honestly sympathetic and his words were sincere when he replied, "I don't know. Perhaps he heard of your ship being destroyed and knew of no survivors, I cannot say. But it's clear that you want to find him, and I'll help you. I knew your father, he was a good man, even for a pirate."  
  
"I never knew he was a pirate, not until you told me. He had always told mother and I that he was a merchant, now I know everything he ever told me was a lie. I'm not sure I want to see him," Will admitted softly.  
  
Jack's eyes went soft with sympathy, "Well, it is your choice, but you're here now and we're going to find him so you might as well take your opportunity to talk to him, you may be surprised by what you find."  
  
"Why is it that you want to find him?"  
  
"To offer him his old position on the Black Pearl, and all the benefits that come with it. Out of my entire crew he was the only one that wasn't against me, even with the whole ship against him. Now that's loyalty, and I intend to repay it," Jack replied, seeming proud of his reasons.  
  
"This whole trip is about a show of gratitude?" Will asked, knowing there was more.  
  
"Partly, yes. Keresto also happens to be a very large trading port and we have many, many things to trade, but we will have time to find your father while there," Jack explained.  
  
"And what will you be trading? Stolen goods?" Will asked accusingly.  
  
Jack smirked, "Yes and no. Barbossa's lot stole them from someone I'm sure, but now we've stolen them back."  
  
"You went back to the island and recovered the treasures left there," Will realized, his lips upturning at the thought. Not knowing where the gold and jewels came from, it really was not stealing to put such items into their own possession. If they didn't the gold would simply remain there, never to be found.  
  
"We took as much as we could anyway; the boat nearly sank. Had to sacrifice a few of my crew to make room for it all," Jack said triumphantly. Looking closely now Will could see the gold and silver objects all around the room; plates, decorations, chalices, a new gold chain about Jack's neck, all taken from Barbossa's booty.  
  
"Then you've done quite well for yourself."  
  
"Indeed we have, many of us are considering retirement," Jack announced.  
  
"But not you?"  
  
"No, I think the sea still calls to Captain Jack Sparrow. Or maybe it's those voices in my head, either way, I'm sticking around," Jack assured him. "But your father should be quite happy once we find him. Those benefits I spoke of earlier, that is one of them. By all rights a good portion of that treasure belongs to him; least that's the way I see it. I think I owe him that much. Not that he needs it. My my my, treasure and a son, I am bringing old Bill quite the present."  
  
"What makes you think my father's even in Keresto, if he is alive?" Will asked, still grasping for information and logic to this whole experience.  
  
"Gawd, must you ask so many questions? You're worse than Cotton's damn parrot. Can't you just accept what I tell you and be happy?" At Will's glare Jack relented the information, "There's this rumor, tale, whatever you want to call it. In Keresto there is a man, a powerful man, who does not age and cannot die. As fierce and strong a fighter as any have ever seen, he is said to have sold his soul to the devil, because at night, when the moon is full, this man walks as only bones. That's what they say anyway, sounds an awful lot like a cursed member of the Black Pearl if you ask me."  
  
"Yes, it does," Will admitted.  
  
"Look, it's late, you've probably had a hard day. If you want to get some rest, Anamaria will show you where you'll be staying." Jack offered and Will thanked him. Anamaria came in at Jack's call and ushered him along.  
  
"See you in the morning," Will called out but Jack just waved him off, his full attention devoted to the monkey once more doing tricks on the ceiling.  
  
"This way," Anamaria ordered him, her tone brooking no arguments. She led him down into the lower deck, past the galley, and into the crew quarters. He grimaced, though he had known what he would find. The crew quarters consisted of hammocks hanging from the ceiling, all in one huge room. Curtains hung as well, offering limited privacy, but Will was unsure how one could live in such a way for months on end.  
  
Seeing the look on Will's face Anamaria smiled, and nudged him ahead, "You're lucky the cap'n likes you. Come on." She continued to lead the way, past the crew quarters and into a small hallway. There was a door at one end that she opened to reveal a small bedroom. The room simply held a bed and a desk and for that Will breathed a sigh of relief. At least there were four walls and a mattress. There were also a few personal items on the desk, indicating that someone else had made it their home. Slightly confused, Will shot Anamaria a curious glance.  
  
Anamaria laughed and said, "These are my quarters, you'll be staying here until you jump ship."  
  
"No, I couldn't. I would never take your room from you ..." Will said hastily, with all his manners coming to the surface.  
  
"It's all right, I don't use it much anyway. I spend most of my nights in the cap'n's quarters." She replied.  
  
"I don't ...." Will began but realization dawned on him, "Oh, I see." Then he blushed and said no more.  
  
"You have a good rest, and remember, we rise early around here." She yelled out to him as she made her way topside.  
  
"I've already risen early," He mumbled to himself as he lay down on the small bed. It did not seem as though sleep would be with him that night as thoughts of his father and all that Jack had told him swirled through his mind. How had he managed this, he wondered, gotten mixed up in another crazy pirate adventure. Jack Sparrow has a way of rubbing off on people. With these many thoughts running through his mind, and the soft rocking of the ship relaxing him, he eventually fell asleep.  
  
~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|  
  
When Will opened his eyes once more he sadly discovered that it was morning. Early morning. No more than three or four hours could have passed since he had fallen asleep and he could feel the weariness seep through him.  
  
~|~ I'll have to get used to it I guess, this is sea life.~|~ He reminded himself. It was then he realized he could hear voices and hurried footsteps all around him. The crew was already up and hard at work it seemed. Well, since he wasn't really crew he supposed it would be all right if he were to roll over and sleep for just a few more hours, until he found his sea legs of course. The crew would not agree.  
  
Just as his eyes closed once more the door to the small room was thrown open to reveal several crew members, smiling mischievously. Will moaned as he rolled over, hoping they'd go away, only to have a hand swiftly cover his mouth, followed by a tight gag. Becoming instantly alert, Will tried to pull away but in the confined space there was nowhere to go. Suddenly callused hands grabbed his arms and his wrists were bound in front of him by a coarse rope. Looking around, Will could recognize only one of the crew members out of the five that ambushed him and wondered where Jack had found such clearly treacherous men. Still smiling, the men strong armed him out of the room and through the lower deck, intent on taking him up top; Will fought them every step of the way to no avail, the long hours of ship work had made them much stronger than him. When they passed through the crew quarters many saw what was happening but none moved to stop them; some even cheered them on. Will wondered what strange kind of world he had fallen into.  
  
As he struggled against the men he tried to spot someone familiar, anyone. Jack and Anamaria were both nowhere to be seen. Cotton stood watching from a corner, seemingly intrigued, but a man without a tongue couldn't really speak out for him. He seemed alone in his unexplained abduction. As he was pulled against his will up the steps to the upper deck Will could do nothing but yell against the gag in his mouth, hoping Jack would hear him, and wonder what in God's name was going to happen to him.  
  
TBC  
  
All for now, they'll be more soon. Thanks to all my fab reviewers, to whom I pledge to never write a Mary-Sue EVER! I don't like to read them either. I've replied to a few of you, but thanks to you all.  
  
GothicNightenGale & ImageEmpress - Thank you, that was a rather blatant mistake wasn't it? I'm too lazy to change chap 1, but I promise not to do it again.  
  
ImageEmpress - I think the Peter Pan line only came out because I wrote this after seeing LXG, which I personally do not recommend seeing.  
  
Mary O'Tool - I do write slash but not a whole lot. This story is definitely not slash, but I can see me writing one eventually. I am going to see PoTC again tomorrow night so I may spot an inspirational slashy moment.  
  
Gabriel Crow - they are sexy aren't they?  
  
Lin - No, no Elizabeth. I didn't mind her or anything, but I really couldn't find a place for her in the story. I'm putting a lot of work into characterizing Jack right so I don't want to worry about getting a lot of characters' personalities' right.  
  
Gambit Gurl Isis - Yes, Jack is very complex, you're right. I have to read over his dialogue a thousand times to make sure it's something he'd say.  
  
Rayemars - I like that line too, glad you're enjoying the fic.  
  
And thanks to everyone else who reviewed. More real soon, promise. Goody ^_^ 


	3. Hanging with the Crew

Thank you for the reviews. Sorry this is a little slow, I'm working on several fics right now, but I'm seeing PotC again tomorrow so that should keep me in the writing mood.

 Did I mention I own nothing? No, I'm serious I really don't own a thing, everything I have is from Rent-A-Center. J

The Sea Holds the Answers chap 3/?

By Goody

"Shouldn't you be up running my ship by now?" Jack asked groggily as he awoke.

 Anamaria, who was sleeping quite contently next to him, answered, "I will in a few minutes. Those worthless seadogs won't rise unless I force them anyway."

 Jack sat up, blinking away the remnants of sleep, and listened for a moment with a confused expression on his face, "My dear, I believe you are gravely mistaken. Those 'seadogs' have already risen and are ondeck at the present moment."

 "They cannot be," Anamaria argued, instantly awake and pulling on her clothes. Jack sighed at the loss of the warm body. 

 "Indeed they are, unless another crew has graciously come aboard and taken it upon itself to run the ship," Jack replied, stretching out, in no hurry to rise. Anamaria finished dressing, kissed him quickly, and then rushed onto the deck, curious as to why the lazy scallywags were already awake. 

 Jack laid back, perfectly content where he was. Being captain had substantial benefits and he reaped them all. Looking across the room he wondered what he should have for breakfast. Will would probably like to join him and he could introduce the boy to the crew. Or maybe he would just stay in bed. There were so many options put before him … but his silent contemplation was being loudly interrupted by voices outside. There was laughter, anger, astonishment all muddled together and all very annoying. What was going on out there? Jack started to get up to find out when Anamaria reappeared in the doorway, her face stuck between dread and indecision.

 "You better get yourself up, we've got a … situation," She informed him.

 Sighing dramatically Jack got up, pulled on his boots and followed her immediately, not even bothering to find a shirt. Grumbling about the uselessness of his crew he shielded his eyes from the sun and looked over the pathetic lot. They were all there, staring back at him. Some were smiling, others were upset, but most were undecided it seemed.

 Putting his captain's authority into his voice, Jack said, very slowly, "One of you, preferably someone who knows what's going on, is going to explain to me what is wrong in ten words or less. Upon hearing the problem, I will then solve it, and you will all go about your tasks. Is that understood?"

 A series of "Yes, Cap'n'"s responded.

 "Good. Now, who will be the one explaining?" Jack asked, looking over his crew. No one stepped forward, the ones that had been smiling, frowned and took a step back. Something wasn't right. Finally a single man raised his hand and stepped forward. It was Cotton.

 "Ah yes, Mr. Cotton. Though I am sure you are very informed about the situation I'm sure you won't be offended when I say that I intended for someone to explain, that had a tongue. So, anyone?" Still no one else stepped forward. Finally Jack gave in, "Very well Mr. Cotton, go ahead. Won't you need your parrot or something?"

 Cotton just shook his head and then proceeded to simply point upwards. Jack followed the man's finger up, expecting to see the parrot amid the masts, and blinked at the sight before him. Blinked several times to make sure he was seeing what he was seeing. Eventually his shoulders slumped and he shot his crew a disappointed and somewhat pouty look.

 "Oh come on, what did you do that for? This wasn't … I mean … why doesn't anyone tell me anything? Clear it with me first? I'm. In. Charge." He said, emphasizing each word, "Is this chain of command too complicated for you?"

 One of his new recruits, Tilling, stepped forward boldly, "With all due respect Cap'n, it's crew business, not yours. What the crew does amongst itself is our affair, as long as it doesn't interfere with the running of the ship."

 "Oh, it's crew business. Well, that makes it all right then doesn't it? Except for the fact that you're _my_ crew, and all of _your business, is __my business. As is the business of my guests. For the love of …how long's he been up there?" Jack asked, deflating._

 "Little over an hour," Tilling replied.

 Jack looked up again and pondered his next course of action. The crew would be disappointed and not pleased with him if he didn't let them have their fun, and Will could probably take a joke, "Well, the sun's not too bad today, he should be fine for a little while. When will you be letting him down?"

 "Not too long cap'n, just seeing what he's made of," Gibbs replied.

 "Solid steel I assure you," Jack seemed to lull it over a minute then announced, "Blast it. Fine you can have your fun, but leave him after this, that's an order. I better go talk to him though. Ah, he's going to be furious."

 "Oh don't worry cap'n, he's gagged," Tilling assured him. 

 " 'don't worry, he's gagged' That's fabulous, it will make him much easier to speak to," Jack said with mock happiness, then he strode off toward the ladder leading to the crow's nest, pondering aloud, "What did I do to deserve a crew like this? Least they're not stabbing me in the back every chance they get."

 It was a long climb up to the lookout post, and Jack kept his eye on Will the whole time, wondering how the boy was doing. After all, it wasn't everyday that a person was hauled from their sleep, tied up, and then hung by their wrists from the mast of a pirate ship. No, not everyday at all. He could see that Will was struggling to get free and admired his determination. Most people would just give up after about twenty minutes. Will was so focussed on his task that he didn't notice Jack climbing up to see him.

 Smirking jovially Jack reached the large post and easily walked along half its length to where Will was dangling helplessly. Spotting him, Will's struggles doubled and he screamed against the gag in his mouth. Taking a deep breath and a seat on the plank, Jack crossed his legs and smiled wider.

 "Nice morning isn't it?" He said conversationally.

 Will's eyes widened and he screamed something (most likely obscene) at him. Jack caved immediately and reached down, pulling the gag free from his mouth.

 "Jack, get me down from here quickly. That new crew of yours is treacherous, help me before they come up here," Will said, keeping his eye on the crew below as he struggled to free himself. He was tied well, his wrists firmly secured and the rope knotted around the board several times. The boy's feet were also tied together around the ankles but the ropes were starting to give from his restlessness.

 "They're not treacherous, not yet anyway. In fact they're an okay bunch once you know them."

 "I don't care, and I don't want to know them, just get me down," Will ordered now, quickly becoming furious.

 Jack tried to explain, "That's where the problem lies, you see, I can't. Well, I can, that is I could, but I can't. It's nothing personal, the boys are just having a little fun. You know what it's like, have to play a few tricks on the new guy onboard."

 "A few tricks? Jack they attacked me and have hung me here to die," Will pleaded with him.

 "They won't leave you to die, you're far too dramatic. They're just having some fun," Jack said again.

 "Yes, I'm the one that's too dramatic. Well I'm not having fun so get me down," Will explained, sounding threatening. The captain was not impressed.

 "That sounds an awful lot like an order William, and I am the captain and to avoid dissension among the ranks I am going to let them play out this game. You just unfortunately get stuck with being the ball," Jack said.

 Will couldn't believe his own ears, "This is insane. Jack, I'm not cut out for sea life, I don't think I can do this. I was having enough trouble dealing with seeing my father again, but now your crew clearly hates me and …"

 "Ah they don't hate you. If they hated you they would have hung you by your feet, or your neck," Jack explained casually.

 "That makes me feel so much better," Will replied sarcastically, "Just cut me down."

 "Sorry, I can't, as I've said. But it's been good talking to you, just wanted to see how you were," Jack said, getting up to leave.

 Will's eyes widened in shock and he called out, "Jack get back here and help me! Jack! Don't you dare leave me like this?"

 "Nothing I can do my boy. But, if you do want the crew to like you, or at least respect you, you would find your own way down," Jack suggested as he started down the ladder.

 "Jack!!!! Jack get back here right now!!!! Jack this is crazy. If you don't get me down, so help me!!!" Will continued screaming, hoping to annoy the pirate so bad he would help him. He smiled when it seemed to work and Jack started back up the ladder, onto the board and then stomped to where he hung.

 "I'm glad you've come to your senses, now pull me up and then …" Will's instructions were cut short as Jack replaced the gag in his mouth with a satisfied huff. Will yelled at him, but little more came out than a muffled howl.

 "Thank goodness, you scream louder than that prostitute from Singapore did when we … uh, yes. Anyway, best of you luck to you," Jack called out as he once again descended the ladder, Will cursing him the entire way. When he reached the bottom the captain waved and then returned to his room, having a few more hours of sleep to catch up on. 

 Will was not happy. He understood why the crew would do this, they were probably a respectable group suffering from sea boredom so they decided a little hazing was in order. The only problem was Will had no intention of becoming a pirate or a member of the crew, or staying onboard any longer than necessary, and therefore thought this initiation rule shouldn't apply. But he would be onboard for quite some time; first to Keresto and then for the long voyage to England that Jack had promised to make for him. With so many weeks ahead of him, Will knew he would have to find a way to co-exist with the crew, so he couldn't hold this little stunt against them. What he could do though was find a way down himself as Jack suggested.

 First he needed to get his legs free. He had been mainly focussing on the ropes around his wrists, but he formed a new plan after Jack left him. His legs were tied tightly, but after wriggling his toes and using his left foot to help he was able to remove the boot from his right foot. This subsequently fell to the deck beneath him, but Will smiled in satisfaction when he saw the shoe strike one of the crew members that had attacked him as it fell. With one less boot the rope around his ankles fell away easily. His smiling widening Will swung himself upwards until he was able to wrap his legs around the large walkway and then pulled himself into a sitting position on top of the plank. He breathed a sigh of relief as the stress of his bodyweight was finally removed from his stiff arms. Thanking god that he was no longer dangling he started to work on his wrists.

 Meanwhile, down below, there was another argument brewing. 

 "He's going to get down," Tilling pointed out, rubbing his head where he'd been struck by the boy's boot. 

 "So he is," Anamaria said casually, "Good for him."

 "He's not supposed to get down until we let him," Tilling reminded the rest of the crew, particularly those that had helped string him up. 

 "Well, he wasn't supposed to, but the best laid plans as they say. There's nothing we can do now, unless you want to go up there and tie him up again, tighter," Gibbs said, watching Will for a moment and then returning to navigating. It was clear from Tilling's face that he wanted to do just that and even started towards the ladder.

 "You stay where you are Mr. Tilling and you leave that boy alone. He's not causing you or anyone else any trouble, so he's not to be touched. Captain's orders," Anamaria reminded him sternly.

 "What's he doing here anyway, he's no pirate," Tilling grumbled, still watching the blacksmith struggle for freedom.

 "He's the captain's, well _friend_ I guess is the best term to use but it doesn't seem right. They have some history, let's just leave it at that," Gibbs replied, not in the mood to relate the long, but exciting, tale. 

 "What sort of history?" Tilling asked, interested now.

 "Complicated history," Anamaria said, frustrated, "Now leave him be and get to work on that deck. I want it to shine brighter than my smile when you're done, and that's no easy task."

 "Aye ma'am," Tilling grumbled. That was another thing he didn't like, along with this outsider, taking orders from a woman.

 "God, that's horrid," Will grumbled as he pulled the gag from his parched mouth. The rope around his wrists was tied tightly so there was no way for Will to manoeuvre his fingers to untie himself, but there was a short length connecting the rope to the wood that he worked on undoing. It was taking longer than he thought.

 "Damn sailor's knot, pirate's knot, whatever it is," he grumbled as he tugged at the bonds. He finally untangled the mess from the walkway and was free, of course his wrists were still bound, but now he could at least get back on solid deck. Of course he could have used his teeth to free himself completely, but the rope was filthy and he wasn't that desperate just yet. He was sure someone would untie him once he got down. Striding across the walkway he started down the ladder slowly, his bound hands causing him some problems. It was slow moving as he relied mostly on his feet but he eventually reached the ground and was greeted by several cheers and jeers from the crew. A few were glad to see him down, others were clearly unimpressed, and the majority didn't care either way. 

 Tilling walked up to him, clearly one of the not impressed; even so Will held out his hands questioningly, clearly waiting to be untied.

 "You seem to be good at solving problems, why don't you find your own way out of that?" Tilling suggested, obviously unwilling to help him.

 "Very well," Will grit out through clenched teeth, deciding he would take no more from this crew. Swiftly side-stepping to the pirate's left Will kicked him hard in the back of leg, most unexpectedly. This sent the larger man flying and he landed sprawled on his back, moaning in pain. Will put a boot on the man's chest to keep him down and then reached down, smirking, and took the knife from Tilling's belt. He casually cut free his hands, and then dropped the knife and rope onto the man's chest.

 The crew chuckled as Will wiped his hands clean and then turned on his heel and walked away, as if the incident had been as unusual as a Sunday stroll. Tilling fumed, his face turning red, as he grabbed his knife, resheathed it, and threw away the rope in disgust. Damn that boy, he thought, he has no right even being at sea. The crew man scuffled away, determined not be embarrassed further this day, but silently vowed revenge.

 Anamaria smiled as Will strode up to her, a smirk on his face as well. It was good the boy could take a joke, the crew would get along with him much better that way. Well, all except Tilling, but no one really liked the man anyway.

 "Well done, we'll make a proper pirate out of you yet," Anamaria promised as she patted him on the back.

 "Thank you but uh," he suddenly looked embarrassed, "have you by any chance seen my boot?" The crew chuckled as Will wiggled his bare foot for emphasis. It seemed he had passed the test of initiation to join the Black Pearl. 

 Anamaria laughed as well, and promised, "We'll find you something." 

~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|~|

 Jack sighed contently as he lay in bed, the sun's rays warming his skin from the open window. He knew that he should get up soon, order the crew to cut down his poor passenger, but for the moment he was really, really comfy. 

 "I suppose the lad does need to get some sun on his skin anyway," Jack reasoned as he rolled back over. A soft chuckling from the crew drifted into the room, followed shortly by a very loud chuckling. Captain Jack Sparrow frowned, hoping he had not missed out on a very good joke. He did love a good laugh. Perhaps someone would tell it to him. But first he would have to get up. Resolute now, Jack sat up and swung both feet onto the floor, but before he could leave the room, someone else entered.

 Pushing open both doors, Will strode into the cabin, looking as if this was the best morning of his life. Jack stood as he entered but found himself sprawled on the bed once more after Will punched him across the jaw.

 "Trust me, you did deserve _that. What's for breakfast?" Will asked, taking a seat at the table across the room. _

 Jack looked confused for a moment as he rubbed his cheek. He looked at Will, then out the door, then back at Will. 

 "I believe that rum I had last night may have spoiled, because I just had the strangest dream. Were you by any chance hanging by the masts, not twenty minutes ago?" Jack asked, inspecting the fine spirited blacksmith.

 "Well, let's see. My day's been so full already. I went to bed, had a surprise guest in the middle of the night, had a lovely sword fight with this guest, then I left my old life behind to join a pirate's crew in search of my father, went to bed again, was awakened rather rudely, and oh yes, I do seem to recall hanging briefly from the masts," Will replied, smiling inside due to Jack's confused expression.

 "I'm glad that's cleared up then, I would have hated to have been forced to throw out the rum. Do you by chance enjoy walking crooked, because you're missing a boot?" Jack pointed out, still not sounding quite sober, but that's just the way he was.

 "I know. Anamaria thinks it fell overboard, she's asking around for another pair for me," Will said casually.

 Jack pulled himself out of bed and crossed the room to join Will at the table, "Good to know you're getting along with the crew; everyone's playing nicely."

 "You were right, they aren't too bad when you get to know them. But you were wrong about one thing," Will told him.

 "There is a first time for everything you know."

 "I am no longer the ball. I believe that privilege has now been passed on to Tilling," Will said, somewhat triumphantly.

 "Congratulations then, would you like a medal?" Jack asked. 

 Will deflated slightly, "You were the one who told me to win their respect."

 "Oh you misunderstand me, I was quite serious," Jack said as he opened a drawer that Will could see was filled to the brim with gold pieces, "Here, I've got dozens of the things, have a few."

 The blacksmith chuckled when Jack did indeed pull out a handful of medallions from the drawer, "Oh, this one's nice. This one too. Here, look at this one, it's got these pretty jewels … on second thought I'm keeping that."

 "Jack," Will called out loudly, breaking his train of thought, "When will we be reaching Keresto?"

 "You want to leave already? I'm hurt, I truly am," Jack said mockingly, but upon Will's glare replied, "Another day, don't jump out of your boots. Boot." 

 Then the doors burst open once more admitting Anamaria, who looked at the two in disdain.

 "I swear, I'm the only one on this ship that does any work. It's men that are bad luck on sea, now, a ship full of women, that would be a force to be reckoned with," She ranted, amazed that Jack had not gotten up yet and that Will was not working. "You Mr. Turner, plan on earning your keep?"

 Will just nodded, not wanting to suffer the women's wrath.

 "Good, put those on," she tossed him a pair of boots. "Since you clearly have no trouble with heights, you can man the crow's nest."

 "Yes ma'am." Will replied dutifully as he pulled on the shoes and then scurried out of the room.

 "And as for you …" Anamaria pointed at Jack who looked as innocent as ever.

 "I order you out of my cabin before you give me anything to do," Jack spurted out before she could finish.

 Anamaria gritted her teeth in annoyance, but just bowed her head, "Aye captain."

 Smirking, Jack leaned back in his chair proudly as he popped a grape into his mouth. As his first mate left the room she slammed the doors so hard the cabin shook, effectively knocking Jack's chair off balance. He swung his arms to try to recover, but eventually found himself flat on his back.

 "Women," he grumbled as he lay on the floor, deciding it might be time to get up.

TBC

 They'll be reaching Keresto next chapter. Hope you'll all be there. Goody ^_^


End file.
